Controlling mechanism for flying machines



atented Juy 111, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. E. MITTDN AND W. 1W. BRALEY. CONTROLLING MEGHANISM FOR FLA/ING MACHINESv APPLICATION FILED FEB 4, 1920. REHEWED MAY 15, 1922.

R. E. MITTON AND W. IVI. BRALEY...

CONTROLLING MECHANISNI FOR FLYING MACHINES. APP L|cAT|oN man FEB.4,1920. RENEWED MAY 15.1922.

pggy, Patented. Ju M, 1922..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

maaar a mirroir ma 'WAYNE n. matar, er sims man dira", aria, Assrenoes, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MITTON-BRALEY AERO-PLANE CONTROL C0., 0F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAH.

CONTROLLING MECANISM FOR FLYING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

remitenteu .muy ii, i222.

Application led February 4, 1920, Serial No. 356,213. Renewed May 15, 1922. Serial No. 561,168.

To all whom it may concer/n.;

Be it known that we, ROBERT E. MrrroN and WAYNE M.- BRALEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling AMechanism for F lying Machines, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in controlli-ng mechanism for flying machines, which consists of the'novel arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

One object of the invention is to provide a control which will automatically maintain the lateral and longitudinal stability of iiying machines. f Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a control which will instantly guide `the machine in any direction, in a, modified manner, but when desirable, will make any correction necessary to maintain stability, unaided by the pilot.

Another object of the vinvention is to p-rovide a control with which it would be diiiicult to place the iiying machine far from its natural iiying attitude, and thus do away with hazardous stunts.

@ther objects and advantages will appear in the followingspecific'ations.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure' l is a front view of an areoplane, showlng the invention in place, with the wires attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side view of-Fi 1.

Fig. 3 is' a plan view of ig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View of the support,

pilots seat, counter-balance and oil plunger.

Fig. 5 is anlenlarged view of the foot lever for operating the rudder'. Fig. 6 is a side view of Fig.'5.

Similar letters and numerals refer to vlike parts throughout the several views of the drawings. i

A denotesthe frame of an aeroplane, B the fuselage, C the right topl aileron, C the left top aileron, D the right bottom aileron, D the left bottom aileron, E the. elevators, F the rudder, I the base or lsupport for the pivot upon whichvthe seat is mounted, G the seat, 2 the pivot, 5 the counter balance. The base 1 is placedin the bottomof the fuselage B and secured thereto. At the apex'of the base 1 is located the pivot 2. We have shown a ball and socket pivot in the drawings, but we do not bind ourselves .to use any certain pivot, we may use any other design. Through the ball 2 of the ball and socket pi'vot, runs the rod 4 to the upper end of which is secured the pilots seat G while the counter balance 5 is mounted at the lower end of ysaid rod. Thel hole 8 in the base 1 run through the pulleys 9 and 9 to the top king posts 10 of theelevators E. These wires are used for raising the elevators.

Control wires 11 and 11 'are'fastened to the back of the pilots seat G at 7 and run through the pulleys l2 and 12 to the bottom king posts 10 of the elevators E. These wires are used for lowering the ele. vators. 1

Control wires 14 and 14 are attached to the sides of the pilots sea/t G and run through pulleys 13 and 13to the -king posts 15 of the bottom ailerons D and D. l/Vires 16` and 16 are for connecting the bottom ailerons D andy D withthe topailerons C and C. Wire 17 is a balance wire running` through pulleys 18 and 18 and connecting king posts 15 of the top ailerons. These wires are used to operate theailerons.

The seat is provided with two sets of safety belts 30 and 30 for securing the pilot around the thighs and chest and leavf ing his arms free, while his feet rest on the bottom of `the fuselage vwithin `reach of,V I

-the foot lever 20.

Control wires 19 and 19 are attached to the foot lever 20 and pass through 21 and'A 121 tothe king posts 22 of the rrudder' F. rhese wires are Afor operating. the rudder.

Having thus described the parts of the invention, we will now illustrate the operation of same.

Pulleys tn the operation `of the invention .two distinctive methods of control come into action, namely, the automatic factor andthe to correct itself whenever it devlates from` a horizontal attitude.

The human factor is used when it .]oe-'v comes necessary to change the .dying attitude, such as banking and turning, ascending and descending. This is `accomplished by various movements of the pilots seat.

The movements of the seat are actuated by the movements of the pilots body, while the rudder'is operatedby his feet.

The results ofthe different movements of the pilots body would be as follows:

When the pilot leans backward, wires 6 and 6- are pulled and wires 11 and 11 recede, thus raising the elevators E and causing the iiying machine to ascend.

When the pilot leans forward, wires 11 and l1 are pulled and wires 6 and 6 recede, thus lowering the elevators Ef and causing the flying machine to descend.

When the pilot leans to the right, wire 14 is pulled and wire 14 recedes and since the top ailerons are connected by the balance wire 17 the movement depresses the left ailerons D and C and raises the .ri ht ailerons D and C, thus banking the flymg machine up on its right sidel In this o eration when the flying machine is so p aced for turning, the pilot places his, right foot on the right side of the foot lever 20 pulling the wire 19 and-receding the wire 19, thus drawing the rudder F to the right and causing the flying machine to turn to the right.

-Any opposlte. movement causes `an opposite result. vf The oil plunger 35 is used to counteract any tendency of the counter balance to oscillate. One or more of the oil -plungers may be used.

Having thus described the invention what we claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A controlling mechanism for flyingmachines o f the character described, in combinatlon wlth a base ory support sustaining alpplvot, the plvot, a rod running through @ad pvot for supporting the pilotis sat.'

a counter balance mounted on lower end of said rod in such a way that itlmay revolve freely to decrease friction with the sides of the base or support, the tendency of said counter balance to hang straight downward actuating the controlling vsurfaces for the maintenance of stability and holds the pilots seat level.

2. A controlling mechanism for flying machines of the character described in combination with a support containing a pivot, the pivot, a counter balance secured to said pivot by means of a rod passing through` said pivot, said yrod also supporting the pilots seat, wires secured to said rod andv .running through a hole inthe base, thence to the top king posts of the elevators, said 'wires for ralslng the elevators, wires atof said rod tohold the seat level, wires attached to said vseat for operating the stabilizing parts, an oil plunger secured to the pilots seat and the frame .of the iying' machine to counteract any counter balance to oscillate.

4. A controlling Amechanism for iying tendency of .the l -eounter balance secured to the.lowerend machines of the character described in combination with a base secured to the bottom of the fuselage, a pivot supported by said base, a rodjsecured to said pivot, a counter balance and a pilot'seat 'secured to said rod, respectively, below and above the pivot, wires attached to the pilots seat and to said rod for controlling the elevators and ailerons, a foot leverv secured to the bottom of the, fuselage in, front of the said support, wires secured to said foot lever, and running through pulleys to the king vposts of the rudder, said foot lever and wires for controlling the movements of the rudder, said foot lever being operated by the pilots feet.

ROBERT E. MITTON. WAYNE M. BRALEY. Witnesses:

HoRsPooL, A A. J. BRUNEAU. 

